Explanatory Writing, Is Your Message Clear?

I frequently describe my writing style as “explanatory,” but then I have to explain myself. The topics I write about best are the ones that explain: who someone is, what they do, what their product is, why the product is great, how something works, how to make something work, and so on.

Why I’m Passionate…

My passion is clear communication, and I first put it in those terms when a guy in high school could not explain how he got from point A to point B in a physics problem. Have no doubt, the boy was brilliant, but he was clueless about how to make himself understood. If I had known how he got from A to B, I would not have needed him – alas, I was lost.

Is Your Writing THIS Good?Photo by L. Nicoles, 2008

…About Clear Communication

Clear communication is about spreading your message in a way that your audience understands. If you are speaking to a bunch of poets, then speaking in poetry works. I, however, am not a poet. I also find that most people have difficulty thinking in poetry. Since most communication, especially written, has an educational or persuasive purpose, it makes sense – to me, at least – that writing styles match thinking styles.

So, I get people from point A to point B. I spent a long time doing that in the form of manuals for engineering software, but having only one topic gets boring. Now I get to explain for people who do all sorts of things – a money coach, a doctor practicing functional medicine, an energy healer, and a contractor.

And It Is So Much Fun

While people like my former high school colleague do tend to send me to the Seventh Circle of Hell (Violence, if you didn’t know), mostly I find that people appreciate my passion – especially the translating engineers part.

What I really love is helping others create their clear and precise written message.